Leavin’ in the Morning
by sofia-lindsay
Summary: We both deserve to be loved. JJ/Emily


**Title:** Leavin' in the Morning  
**Author:** sofialindsay  
**Fandom:** Criminal Minds  
**Pairing:** Emily/JJ  
**Disclaimer**- If I owned them, there would be no babies, and no Crawfishes.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** We both deserve to be loved.  
**AN:** Thanks to darkbardzero and Steppenwolf20 for beta'ing. Also thanks to Calliopesmuse for some ideas.  
**Archiving:** P&P, Women in Kevlar

Emily walked into her condo and dropped her ready bag against the floor with a thud. Walking to the large window that overlooked the nation's capital, she sighed. Whether it was the blow she had taken to her head, the pain medication they had given her or if it was simply that the adrenaline was wearing off, she could now realize how close to death she had really been.

Or maybe it had been the way JJ had looked at her at the plane; the confusion and hurt written clearly on her face. Her face said plainly that she knew about Strauss, about the real reason the brunette had been placed in the BAU. She knew Emily had submitted her resignation, Garcia's interception being the only thing that kept her from being shipped to God knows where in the name of "foreign service." And Emily could see that the blonde knew the she was head over heels in love. Not with the job, as many would think, but rather with her.

Emily knew the truth, if she cared to admit it to herself. Strauss was only a small reason she was leaving the BAU. The other part, the much larger part, was the blonde press liaison herself. She couldn't stand the nights spent with the blonde and still know JJ didn't want more. She had tried everything she knew to make the other woman see she wanted more than someone to turn to at night, but it had became painfully clear that JJ simply wanted a lover, not a girlfriend or partner.

Too many times Emily had woken to find JJ gone. The cases that hit her the hardest, when she needed JJ the most, they'd fuck and JJ would be gone soon after. When Emily needed that closeness, the blonde had left. She wanted quiet walks along the beach, holding hands and watching the sunset. But the one time she had suggested it, JJ had shrugged it off.

JJ had never hinted at wanting more and Emily wasn't going to force the issue. She'd suffer in silence, she had decided. But then Strauss had called in her 'favor,' and Emily knew she would never turn against her team, against her JJ.

"Damn you, JJ. And damn me for wanting more." She cursed into the empty room while leaning her head against the cool pane of the window.

"If you're going to curse me, the least you could do is tell me why."

Emily jumped, startled at the voice coming from behind her, "Jesus, JJ! What are you doing here?"

The blonde emerged from the shadows, and walked towards the profiler; for each step she took, Emily took one in retreat. When her back hit the wall, she stiffened as JJ came closer, silently cursing herself for forgetting she had given JJ her spare key.

"You were going to leave. Without an explanation or anything, weren't you? You resigned without even talking to me. To me! Your lover! How do you think that makes me feel? Huh, Emily?"

"Lover, not partner," Emily replied softly.

"What?" A confused JJ asked, hearing the profiler's words, but her mind refusing to understand. She watched the emotions play across the brunette's face, before vanishing; Emily was shutting down. And shutting her out in the process.

Emily sighed, "You're my lover, Jayj, not my partner. Well, at work you're my partner, but you're not my girlfriend. I don't have to explain my actions to you."

JJ retreated to the couch, trying to distance herself from Emily and the pain she felt, "I thought they were the same thing for us. I just...we're so strong together, I guess I just thought I...it, meant something more to you than a fuck."

"More than a fuck? Every morning I woke up alone. I had to walk into work and act like I didn't still feel you against me. That I couldn't still taste you. I had to act like I didn't love you."

The words lay suspended in the air between them, before Emily noticed JJ's eyes fill with tears. In three strides, she was sitting on the edge of the coffee table and taking the smaller hands in her own.

JJ shook her head sadly, "I thought you didn't want more than just sex, Em. I didn't know you wanted me there the next morning. I wanted to wake up next to you, but I didn't want the awkwardness at work if you didn't want me there."

Without another word, JJ flung herself into Emily's arms, burying her face in the warm next and pulling her into a crushing embrace.

"Please, don't go. We can have Garcia expunge your request from the system. I'll wake up in your arms every morning. Please Em."

Emily wrapped her arms around the younger woman and sighed, "I'm taking the test JJ. Maybe this is what's best for both of us. You can move on and find someone younger. I can…find someone who loves me like I love them."

"But I do love you Emily. You don't have to go anywhere," the baby blue eyes were filled with tears as JJ lifted her head to look at the brunette. The tears fell when she saw Emily shake her head.

"Jennifer, don't say something like that just to keep me here. You know we both deserve…"

JJ didn't let Emily finish before pressing her lips against the profiler's. Pouring everything she felt into the kiss, her heart did a flip when she felt Emily's arms go around her and pull her tighter to her. Pulling away, JJ smiled.

"We both deserve to be loved. Stay Em. Please? If nothing else then stay for the sake of love."

Emily just shook her head. JJ had her wrapped around her finger and she knew it. Hell, who was she kidding? The whole world probably knew it.

Reaching out to take the blonde's hand, she smiled, "Okay. But you better be here in the morning."

And come next morning, JJ was.


End file.
